The Power Of Stillness To Enhance Your Mindset (Holistic Habit Stacking Week 1)

We’re bringing it back to the basics to help you build foundations for health on a daily basis - in a way that’s actually doable. The key to creating your most vibrant self begins here: Holistic Habit Stacking. New to this concept? Check out this post (plus get a free downloadable resource to help!) then keep scrolling for the very first habit we’re stacking in this blog series.

Before diving into this week’s habit, let’s get any hesitations out of the way. We totally get it…

Stillness may sound like a scary word for some of us - unsure of what will surface in the silence, it may sound more like a prison sentence than a way to pursue wellness. Or maybe it just feels like a completely foreign concept - living in a culture that encourages the hustle, creates constant noise for us to consume and offers endless distractions to fill the void in our lives.

However, here’s the truth about stillness and the space we’re inviting you into.

Stillness:

• creates space to clarify our vision and our values.
• is a pause button for our soul.
• gives us a new vantage point and a greater perspective.
• allows us to notice our thought patterns and give them an upgrade, if needed.
• helps us tune in to the present moment.
• offers the opportunity to reclaim our power.
• allows a deeper knowing to surface - who you are and what you desire.
• helps to redirect the mind towards what is true, good and whole.
• is like an extended exhale for the mind, body and soul.

Cultivating stillness will take intention because, for many of us, busy has become automatic and hurry has become our default. We’ve been programmed to always be rushing and running around on autopilot. We’ve fallen into this trap and followed the lie that stillness could never lead to success.

Stillness is oftentimes so misunderstood, it's pushed aside instead of prioritized. We’ve come to believe that being still is a complete waste of time and will cause us to fall behind, when in reality, it's the very thing our being craves - to be still, to be filled. To show up more present, more rested, more full. 

A deep work can happen in stillness that can’t take place in the hurried pace of everyday life. Stillness actually expands time and space (and even our capacity) - allowing our productivity and creativity to no longer come from a place of force, striving or struggling, but from a natural overflowing. 

If you’re feeling stuck in cycles of stress, comparison, compulsion, anxiety or burnout, a daily practice of stillness might just be the antidote.

Give yourself the gift of 5 minutes a day of stillness for a greater sense of clarity and calm.

No other noises, no outside voices, no distractions. 
No striving, doing, producing or expecting.
No buzzing alarms, notifications, or plans to rush out the door.

Just yourself and your breath. Starting to notice your surroundings and what is surfacing from within in a whole new way.

The voice within is easily drowned out by distractions from louder voices vying for our attention. So until we create space for a moment of quiet, we can often miss it. Screens, scrolling, movies, music lyrics, billboards, podcasts - we’re constantly consuming and absorbing from the outside world and their endless pull for our presence.

But we are not victims to these outside voices. We can choose to tune them out and tune inwards. It just takes a bit more intention.

If the concept of stillness seems scary or being still for more than 2 minutes makes you uneasy,  start slow. Find a place you feel safe, comfortable and free of distractions.

Here are some small ways to welcome rhythms of stillness into your life:

• Morning meditation: Start your day with intention, presence and clarity. Set a timer for 5 minutes or use one of the many apps available for meditation.

• Before bed: Turn your phone on airplane mode and transition to sleep with a calm, quiet mind. Inhale for 3, hold for 3, exhale for 6. Repeat until you doze off into dreamy sleep.

• Practice sabbath: Set aside one day a week for prioritizing rest. What brings you joy? What encourages rest? Do those things without guilt - trusting that the next day you’ll show up more present and productive.

• Silent commute: Make the most of your commute and give yourself permission to savor the silence instead of a podcast.

• Brew herbal tea: The aroma, the warmth and the herbs offer feelings of calm and comfort. Sip mindfully, receiving the healing benefits for your body, skin, mind and mood.

• Free writing: No matter what words reveal themselves on the page, it’s simply the act of writing that is cathartic and creates space for a calm, still mind.

• Stare at nature: Nature is proven to soothe the nervous system and serves as a sacred reminder that we are a small part of a bigger picture - and maybe our stresses aren’t as heavy as they once seemed.

• Facial massage: Take a few extra moments to massage a tight jaw, a tense forehead or a stiff neck to signal your mind to slow down and promote stillness in skin and soul.

P.S. Whatever surfaces in the stillness, we recommend writing it down. Help your mindset feel lighter and clearer by getting your thoughts out of your mind and onto paper. Sometimes you don’t realize the weight within until you release it.

As you cultivate and commit to these 5 minutes of stillness every single day, you might notice how the power of stillness pours into other areas of your life as well.

Getting into a regular rhythm of slowing down and practicing stillness can serve you in so many different situations. The ripple effect of stillness not only deepens the connection you have with yourself and the voice within, but with those around you.

For example: Before responding (aka reacting) to a request you actually want to decline or a friend you don’t see eye to eye with, allowing yourself a moment of stillness, reflection or pause can be the difference between a healthy boundary/connection or a difficult/divisive conversation. 

Still nervous about cultivating a life of stillness? This is the beauty of cultivating the power of stillness within:

We can be still even when it’s not silent.
We can be still even when we’re not alone.
We can be still even when circumstances are less than ideal.

No matter what you may be surrounded by, a daily habit of stillness helps to calm the chaos within and help you to finally hear the still, small voice that’s been waiting for you to be still long enough to listen.

Let’s live on purpose, let’s practice stillness.

Download your Holistic Habit Tracker here and begin a daily habit of just 5 minutes of stillness!

Habit Stacking Note: There is so. much. power. in small, daily decisions and the benefits build over time. It’s not an overnight transformation, it’s tiny steps towards the most vibrant version of yourself. So we want to encourage you to stick with these simple practices every single day - especially when it comes to stillness and your mental wellness. It’s a habit, a practice, a lifelong journey - and one that’s worth taking.

Stillness Note: We want to encourage you to courageously seek professional support or connect with a therapist if you feel whatever surfaces in the stillness needs more dedicated attention and you want to dive deeper into those places. XO

Pin your fav blog post below: